Bobby's starting to look like yet another home run draft pick. He has been mentioned quite a lot in the DRoTY discussion and after yesterday's monster game, he could quite possibly be the clear forerunner. This kid has quietly performed at an elite level. I wonder if he's getting any Pro Bowl consideration from the mediots.

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Hawks46 wrote:You can see the progression. First, he was making tackles, then he gets to call the defense.

Now he's making impact plays and getting turnovers.

Next up is run gap discipline, making plays behidn the los more often, and sharpening up the coverage. Then we will have our own "Willis lite" on the roster.

I would definitely like to see him making more plays behind the LOS as he has the speed to catch guys from behind. Aside for a few games where he was specifically targeted in the run game, I think his gap discipline has been pretty good. What most amazes me is his ability to stand up to 300+ pound guards blocking him.

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Perhaps not to be overlooked is playing the last 2 games next to M. Smith. If I remember correctly he has Cornerback speed in the 4.4 Range. That has to help. Wagners problems has never been one of ability. He just needed to read and then react not the other way around.

What has surprised me about him is his pass coverage improvements and growth. Last week he had a spotty game in Chicago. He looked excellent at it yesterday

Happypuppy wrote:Perhaps not to be overlooked is playing the last 2 games next to M. Smith. If I remember correctly he has Cornerback speed in the 4.4 Range. That has to help. Wagners problems has never been one of ability. He just needed to read and then react not the other way around.

What has surprised me about him is his pass coverage improvements and growth. Last week he had a spotty game in Chicago. He looked excellent at it yesterday

He's passed the eye test for me since the Cowboys game. I have noticed his coverage skills greatly improving as well. He can run stride for stride with pretty much any TE in the league.

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He's virtually there already but has 3 more games to add to his totals. Wagner is the man and I think he's developing very nicely. Very exciting to see. I also love what I'm seeing out of Macolm Smith, I hope he continues to play the rest of the year.

He's virtually there already but has 3 more games to add to his totals. Wagner is the man and I think he's developing very nicely. Very exciting to see. I also love what I'm seeing out of Macolm Smith, I hope he continues to play the rest of the year.

This is pretty impressive, especially considering how highly most of us think of Lofa's rookie year.

Maybe I'm thinking about this wrong, but I think Wagner should beat out Kuechly for DROY. Stats aside, isn't it more impressive for a rookie to be commanding a great defense than a terrible one? The Panthers D is truly awful.

Tru2RedNGold25 wrote:Us as Niners fan have every right to rep Niners all day everyday when we have the hardware to back it up do can u guys say that???

Largent80 wrote:Man did he have a great game, and season for a rookie mike. Heater who?

Heater... Heater... The name rings a bell, but I just can't remember.

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razgriz737 wrote:Maybe I'm thinking about this wrong, but I think Wagner should beat out Kuechly for DROY. Stats aside, isn't it more impressive for a rookie to be commanding a great defense than a terrible one? The Panthers D is truly awful.

I was thinking the same thing. Kinda thinking the same thing for Wilson on offense, if we make a deep playoff run, wouldn't that be even more impressive?

YOU DON’T SAY“For Defensive Rookie (of the Year), three linebackers stepped in from day one and became tackling machines – Carolina’s Luke Kuechly, Seattle’s Bobby Wagner and Tampa Bay’s Lavonte David. Cornerback Casey Hayward of the Packers has been a star from about Week 4. Linemen Chandler Jones of New England (outside) and Derek Wolfe of Denver (inside) have provided consistent pressure since Week 1. Safety Harrison Smith of Minnesota is already one of the most instinctive safeties in the league. For now, for the wins and the leadership and filling a gaping hole, I’ll take Wagner of the Seahawks.” – Peter King in his “Monday Morning Quarterback” at SI.com

To the delight of the Soldier Field crowd and his sideline, Smith passed up the field-goal attempt and went for it. Michael Bush was stuffed for no gain on the play, and the second guessing began before Bush got off the ground.

Even Smith joined the chorus.

"Some decisions I made really hurt us early on," he said. "I should have taken the field goal in a game like that. I feel like we had momentum and wanted to really kind of knock them out and get them on their heels a little bit. That was the big play of the game."

The Bears didn't lose the game because they went for it. They lost the game because they missed a one-foot putt.

That play was a gimme. If everyone could have just fallen forward, Bears win.

Bush, all 245 pounds of him, was brought to Chicago, if not put on this earth, to make a half-yard.

And the Bears have had enough success in short-yardage situations that they shouldn't have been shy about being aggressive. Going into this game, the Bears faced 23 third- or fourth-and-1 situations and converted 15 of them.

The risk was minimal, and certainly worth the potential reward — taking the Seahawks out of the game early in the second quarter.

The Bears want to be a power offense. They want to play with a physical mentality. They can't look in the mirror and like what they see unless they take on challenges like that fourth-and-1.

After his mea culpa, Smith acknowledged he would go for it again in the same situation, and he should.

"I feel like if you're going to win and be able to get in the playoffs and play good football this time of season, you've got to be able to pick up fourth-and-short like that," he said.

And if they can't, they don't deserve to win the game.

"We have the guys that can make the plays," wide receiver Brandon Marshall said. "We have been really successful on fourth downs, third-and-shorts, fourth-and-shorts. So I liked the call and I was one of the guys that was lobbying for it. We just have to make the play."

That was the overriding sentiment in the Bears locker room.

"I liked that call as a lineman," guard Gabe Carimi said. "We have a strong offensive line group, an intense group. I feel we should be able to make those plays."

The Bears went with their heavy package, sending in 306-pound James Brown at tight end to pair with Matt Spaeth, and subbing Bush in for Matt Forte. Brown and Spaeth lined up on the left side of the formation, which ended up being the back side of the play.

Bush said the play was called "Strike," and he was supposed to go wherever he saw a push. And that's where the problem started. There wasn't enough of a push anywhere.

"It's on the offensive line," leader and center Roberto Garza said. "We have to be able to convert that. It's squarely on our shoulders and it's unacceptable."

Carimi had similar feelings. "We should get that every time," he said. "We didn't move the line as well as we could have, and we didn't get up on the linebacker to make the play."

Bush went up the middle to the right of the line. Carimi, playing right guard, blocked the three technique tackle. A pull from the left side of the line failed to reach Seahawks middle linebacker Bobby Wagner, who met Bush head on.

"I saw (Bush) about to jump so I met him before he got forward momentum," Wagner said. "He kind of left his feet, and I left mine too."

Bush averaged 5.6 yards per carry for the game, but couldn't get a half-yard on the game's most important play.

"They did a good job of stalemating the line, "Bush said. "There was nothing I could do. I didn't have any place to squeeze in."

Hawks46 wrote:You can see the progression. First, he was making tackles, then he gets to call the defense.

Now he's making impact plays and getting turnovers.

Next up is run gap discipline, making plays behidn the los more often, and sharpening up the coverage. Then we will have our own "Willis lite" on the roster.

I love Willis lite...

He's outplayed Willis this year. More importantly, he's outplayed Bowman too, which is the better SF ILB from the few games I've actually payed attention. Willis often gets to run free where as Bowman usually takes on a blocker and still puts up better stats.